Silver-containing photothermographic imaging materials (that is, photosensitive thermally developable imaging materials) that are imaged with actinic radiation and then developed using heat and without liquid processing have been known in the art for many years. Such materials are used in a recording process wherein an image is formed by imagewise exposure of the photothermographic material to specific electromagnetic radiation (for example, X-radiation, or ultraviolet, visible, or infrared radiation) and developed by the use of thermal energy. These materials, also known as “dry silver” materials, generally comprise a support having coated thereon: (a) a photocatalyst (that is, a photosensitive compound such as silver halide) that upon such exposure provides a latent image in exposed grains that are capable of acting as a catalyst for the subsequent formation of a silver image in a development step, (b) a relatively or completely non-photosensitive source of reducible silver ions, (c) a reducing composition (usually including a developer) for the reducible silver ions, and (d) a hydrophilic or hydrophobic binder. The latent image is then developed by application of thermal energy.
In photothermographic materials, exposure of the photographic silver halide to light produces small clusters containing silver atoms (Ag0)n. The imagewise distribution of these clusters, known in the art as a latent image, is generally not visible by ordinary means. Thus, the photosensitive material must be further developed to produce a visible image. This is accomplished by the reduction of silver ions that are in catalytic proximity to silver halide grains bearing the silver-containing clusters of the latent image. This produces a black-and-white image. The non-photosensitive silver source is catalytically reduced to form the visible black-and-white negative image while much of the silver halide, generally, remains as silver halide and is not reduced.
In photothermographic materials, the reducing agent for the reducible silver ions, often referred to as a “developer,” may be any compound that, in the presence of the latent image, can reduce silver ion to metallic silver and is preferably of relatively low activity until it is heated to a temperature sufficient to cause the reaction. A wide variety of classes of compounds have been disclosed in the literature that function as developers for photothermographic materials. At elevated temperatures, the reducible silver ions are reduced by the reducing agent. In photothermographic materials, upon heating, this reaction occurs preferentially in the regions surrounding the latent image. This reaction produces a negative image of metallic silver having a color that ranges from yellow to deep black depending upon the presence of toning agents and other components in the imaging layer(s).
Differences Between Photothermography and Photography
The imaging arts have long recognized that the field of photothermography is clearly distinct from that of photography. Photothermographic materials differ significantly from conventional silver halide photographic materials that require processing with aqueous processing solutions.
As noted above, in photothermographic imaging materials, a visible image is created by heat as a result of the reaction of a developer incorporated within the material. Heating at 50° C. or more is essential for this dry development. In contrast, conventional photographic imaging materials require processing in aqueous processing baths at more moderate temperatures (from 30° C. to 50° C.) to provide a visible image.
In photothermographic materials, only a small amount of silver halide is used to capture light and a non-photosensitive source of reducible silver ions (for example a silver carboxylate or a silver benzotriazole) is used to generate the visible image using thermal development. Thus, the imaged photosensitive silver halide serves as a catalyst for the physical development process involving the non-photosensitive source of reducible silver ions and the incorporated reducing agent. In contrast, conventional wet-processed, black-and-white photographic materials use only one form of silver (that is, silver halide) that, upon chemical development, is itself at least partially converted into the silver image, or that upon physical development requires addition of an external silver source (or other reducible metal ions that form black images upon reduction to the corresponding metal). Thus, photothermographic materials require an amount of silver halide per unit area that is only a fraction of that used in conventional wet-processed photographic materials.
In photothermographic materials, all of the “chemistry” for imaging is incorporated within the material itself. For example, such materials include a developer (that is, a reducing agent for the reducible silver ions) while conventional photographic materials usually do not. The incorporation of the developer into photothermographic materials can lead to increased formation of various types of “fog” or other undesirable sensitometric side effects. Therefore, much effort has gone into the preparation and manufacture of photothermographic materials to minimize these problems.
Moreover, in photothermographic materials, the unexposed silver halide generally remains intact after development and the material must be stabilized against further imaging and development. In contrast, silver halide is removed from conventional photographic materials after solution development to prevent further imaging (that is in the aqueous fixing step).
Because photothermographic materials require dry thermal processing, they present distinctly different problems and require different materials in manufacture and use, compared to conventional, wet-processed silver halide photographic materials. Additives that have one effect in conventional silver halide photographic materials may behave quite differently when incorporated in photothermographic materials where the underlying chemistry is significantly more complex. The incorporation of such additives as, for example, stabilizers, antifoggants, speed enhancers, supersensitizers, and spectral and chemical sensitizers in conventional photographic materials is not predictive of whether such additives will prove beneficial or detrimental in photothermographic materials. For example, it is not uncommon for a photographic antifoggant useful in conventional photographic materials to cause various types of fog when incorporated into photothermographic materials, or for supersensitizers that are effective in photographic materials to be inactive in photothermographic materials.
These and other distinctions between photothermographic and photographic materials are described in Imaging Processes and Materials (Neblette's Eighth Edition), noted above, Unconventional Imaging Processes, E. Brinckman et al. (Eds.), The Focal Press, London and New York, 1978, pp. 74–75, in Zou et al., J. Imaging Sci. Technol. 1996, 40, pp. 94–103, and in M. R. V. Sahyun, J. Imaging Sci. Technol. 1998, 42, 23.
Problem to be Solved
One of the challenges in the use of photothermographic materials is attaining sufficient photothermographic speed in such materials that are also compatible with available imaging sources.
Each of the pure photographic silver halides (silver chloride, silver bromide and silver iodide) and mixed silver halides (such as silver bromochloroiodide) has its own natural response to radiation, in both wavelength (spectral sensitivity) and efficiency (speed), within the UV, near UV and blue regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Thus, silver halide grains, when composed of only silver and halogen atoms, have defined levels of sensitivity depending upon the levels of specific halogen, crystal morphology (shape and structure of the crystals or grains), crystal defects, stresses, and dislocations, and dopants incorporated within or on the crystal lattice of the silver halide.
Chemical sensitization (generally sulfur-sensitization) is a process, during or after silver halide crystal formation, in which sensitization centers [for example, silver sulfide clusters such as (Ag2S)n] are introduced onto the individual silver halide grains. For example, silver sulfide specks can be introduced by direct reaction of sulfur-contributing compounds with the silver halide during various stages or after completion of silver halide grain growth. These specks usually function as shallow electron traps for the preferential formation of a latent image center. Other chalcogens (Se and Te) can function similarly. The presence of these specks increases the speed or sensitivity of the resulting silver halide grains to radiation. Sulfur-contributing compounds useful for this purpose include thiosulfates (such as sodium thiosulfate) and various thioureas (such as allyl thiourea, thiourea, triethyl thiourea and 1,1′-diphenyl-2-thiourea) as described for example, by Sheppard et al., J. Franklin Inst., 1923, pp. 196, 653, and 673, C. E. K. Mees and T. H. James, The Theory of the Photographic Process, 4th Edition, 1977, pp. 152–3, and Tani, T., Photographic Sensitivity: Theory and Mechanisms, Oxford University Press, NY, 1995, pp. 167–176).
In photothermographic emulsions, the photosensitive silver halide must be in catalytic proximity to (or in reactive association with) the non-photosensitive source of reducible silver ions. Because of the different emulsion making procedures and chemical environments of photothermographic emulsions, the effects achieved by compounds (such as chemical sensitizers) in conventional photographic emulsions are not necessarily possible in photothermographic emulsions.
For example, in photothermographic emulsions, two types of chemical sensitization have been used to increase speed: (a) chemical sensitization of preformed silver halide grains that are then mixed into the solution containing reducible silver ions in some manner, and (b) chemical sensitization of preformed silver halide grains that are already in intimate contact with the reducible silver ions.
In the first approach (a), many of the traditional methods (used for photographic emulsions) can be used, but for the second approach (b), quite specific methods and unique compounds are often needed. Regardless of which approach is used, there is considerable difficulty in attaining additional speed while maintaining low fog (Dmin).
Another method of chemical sensitization is achieved by oxidative decomposition of a sulfur-containing spectral sensitizing dye in a photothermographic emulsion as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,615 (Winslow et al.). In general, this method involves providing the sulfur-containing dye (such as a sulfur-containing merocyanine dye) on or around preformed silver halide grains in an emulsion containing both the silver halide grains and a non-photosensitive source of silver ions. The sulfur-containing compound on or around the silver halide grains is then decomposed by addition of a strong oxidizing agent such as pyridinium hydrobromide perbromide (PHP) to the emulsion. Subsequent to this decomposition, a portion of the non-photosensitive silver salt is converted in-situ to silver halide by addition of an inorganic halide compound.
Photothermographic materials are constantly being redesigned to meet ever-increasing performance, storage, and manufacturing demands raised by customers, regulators, and manufacturers. One of these demands is increased photospeed without a significant increase in fog (Dmin) or a loss in Dmax. Thus, while the current method of chemical sensitization described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,615 (noted above) has provided desired speed for photothermographic emulsions, there is a continued need for an improved method that provides even greater photospeed for such emulsions.